Pressure actuated control means in systems for generation of inert gases



9 w. J. WILLENBOQG 2,

PRESSURE ACTUATED CONTROL MEANS IN SYSTEMS FOR GENERATION OF INERT GASES Origin a1 Filed Oct. 17, 1930,

I N II/EN TOR. WHLTER JMILLENE DR 5 A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE PRESSURE ACTUA'IED CONTROL MEANS IN SYSTEMS FOR GENERATION OF INERT' GASES Milwaukee, Wis.

Application October 17, 1930, Serial No. 489,321 Renewed May 23, 1938 23 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of and means for balancing fluid pressures, and, more particularly, it relates to a device which serves to balance the pressure in a fluid passing from one apparatus to another, by regulating the pressure of the fluid at the delivery end of one apparatus, by regulating the pressure of said fluid as it enters the other apparatus, or by a combined regulation.

10K; One of the objects of my invention is to main- 0.; combustion engine at a substantially constant level above the pressure of the atmosphere, while said gases are being scrubbed or washed. I thus prevent vacuum conditions, which might cause the means used for scrubbing, washing or treating the gas to back up into the said engine or to enter upon the delivery pipes issuing therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in connection with an internal combustion engine and a compressor for the exhaust gases delivered by said engine, means for maintaining the pressure of said gases above atmospheric pressure While they pass through means interposed between said engine and said compressor, in order to prevent the entry of air upon said gas through points of leakage in said means.

A further object of my invention is to regulate the fluid pressure at the outlet of an internal combustion engine in relation to the pressure conditions at the inlet of said compressor. I thus balance said pressures, in order to obtain substantially uniform carburetion.

A further object of my invention is to regulate the inlet and outlet pressures of a compressor, which is operatively connected to an internal combustion engine, in such a manner that said the inlet pressure of a compressor in relation to a predetermined pressure at the outlet of said COIIIPIBSSOI.

A further object of my invention is to provide in an inert gas producer unit, near the exhaust of an engine which produces the inert gases, a substantially constant pressure, above atmospheric pressure, in order uniformly to feed samples of the exhaust gas to an analyzer which serves to control the quality of the gases delivered from said unit.

These and other objects of my invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, which exemplarily'shows, in a partly diagrammatic side view, the arrangement of the parts used directly and collaterally as means of and for the method of my invention.

The internal combustion engine I delivers its exhaust gases through an exhaust manifold 2 into a conduit 3; said conduit issues upon a scrubber 4 and passes exhaust gases therethrough into a conduit 5. The conduit 5 comprises an oil and water separator 5 which serves to eliminate traces of liquid from the exhaust gases of the engine, said liquid being drained through a pipe 1 to a sewer 8. The scrubber 4 is filled with material 9 through which descends the water introduced into said scrubber by'line ID. The water is drained from the scrubber through an outlet which is arranged at a low point on said scrubber and is carried through a trap l l to the sewer 8. The exhaust gas of the engine passes through the scrubber in a direction substantially opposed to the direction in which the water descends in said scrubber.

Means which serve to boost the pressure of the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine I are frequently incorporated in said engine, and the scrubbed and washed gases are re-introduced into that part of the engine{ or such boosting means may be operatively' coupled as a more or less independent unit to the internal combustion engine. In the drawing I show a compressor l2, the main shaft [3 of which is connected by a coupling M to the crank shaft ii of the internal combustion engine I. A gear I6 is arranged alongside of the coupling l4 and serves as flywheel and also to connect a starter to the generating and pumping unit l, l2. The intake and outlet of the compressor are connected to the conduits l1 and 18 respectively. The conduit l1 connects through the valve 19 to the conduit 5, thus completing the connection between the internal combustion engine and the compressor through which the exhaust gases of the former are adduced to the latter.

The valve 19 is a pressure regulating valve of a type well known to those acquainted with the respective art, and also frequently termed governor or diaphragm valve. It reacts upon gage pressures, that term commonly defining pressure related to a standard, and more particularly to air, (Machinery Encyclopedia, Volume V, page 164, published by the Industrial Press, N. Y. 1917). Valve I9 comprises the valve proper 23 and the chamber 2|, from which the operation of the valve part is controlled. The diaphragm 39, which closes the bottom of the chamber 2|, is operatively connected to the valve stem 22, so that distention of said. diaphragm 39, under varying pressures in the chamber 2|, is directly transmitted to the valve part 20. The gas introduced into the chamber 2| will distend the diaphragm 33 downwardly or suck it into the chamber 2| upwardly, according to whether the said pressure of said gas is above or below the pressure of the atmosphere acting upon the diaphragm 39 of chamber 2| from the bottom, ignoring the compensating action of spring 23. By the respective movements of the diaphragm 39, the valve is opened or closed. As known to those acquainted with valve gears the exact point of opening and closing of said valve may be regulated by adjustment of the length of the stem 22 or by the adjustment of the tension of the spring 23, which rests upon the bottom of the diaphragm 39, reacting against a cross piece 24 of the valve Hi. If, for example, the valve I9 is adjusted so that it is closed at and below atmospheric pressure, and. so that it opens at 2 lbs. above atmospheric pressure, the valve is normally closed; it will stay closed when the engine I is set into operation until the pressure of the exhaust gas in the conduit 3, the scrubber 4, and the conduit 5 reaches the said opening pressure. When the pressure of the exhaust gas rises above 2 lbs. above atmospheric pressure, the by-pass 25 introduces gas at that pressure into chamber 2| and the valve is opened, permitting the exhaust gas to pass through said valve, until the pressure in conduits 3 and 5 and in the scrubber has dropped below 2 lbs. above atmospheric pressure, whereupon said valve closes again.

The valve may function so accurately that during continued operation a pressure is maintained at the engine exhaust which is substantially constant for all practical purposes. The balance of pressure on the right side of the valve would only be disturbed if a pressure, exceeding the point of pressure to which the valve I9 is set, should prevail in the conduit I'I; under those circumstances no gas would flow to the left through the valve I8, when that valve is opened. But such a condi tion does ordinarily not occur because the cornpressor I2 has an intake capacity which exceeds the maximum volume of exhaust gas which may issue from the internal combustion engine under a speed corresponding to the speed of rotation of the compressor; since the compressor and the engine are directly coupled, the relative speeds are and remain fixed.

The outlet of the compressor I2 connects by means of the conduit I8, through the cooler 23 and the separator 21, to a valve 28. The separator 21 serves to eliminate such impurities from the gas which have been carried over from the gas engine through the compressor, or impurities which have been formed or collected in the compressor. The impurities and the cooling means are drained to the sewer at 8.

The differential valve 28 does not permit any gas to pass unless it has a predetermined pressure. The pressure of the gas has to overcome the pressure of the spring 29, which retains the piston 30 in seat 3|. I thus preserve a predetermined pressure at the outlet of the compressor and in the conduit I8. Any gas, which may leak past the piston 3|], is returned to the conduit 5 by means of an auxiliary line 32.

The valve 28 issues upon a T, to which connect two valves 33. One of these valves is connected to a high pressure tank 34; the other one serves otherwise to dispose of the compressed gas.

It has been mentioned before that the capacity of the compressor exceeds that which is actually required to take care of the inert gas produced by the internal combustion engine. The pressure in conduit I'I would therefore normally be below atmospheric pressure, more particularly so because the valve I9 shuts off the supply of gas to the compressor when the pressure in the conduits 3 and 5, and in the scrubber drops below a certain predetermined point of pressure. When the valve I 9 is closed, the compressor would therefore work against a varying, partial vacuum, and that may considerably change the energy required to operate the compressor. This energy is supplied by the gasoline engine; a fluctuation thereof would cause a great change of the load on the gasoline engine, afiect its carburetion and necessitate repeated adjustments of the carburetor of the gasoline engine.

To avoid such unbalancing of the compressor load, I provide means for predeterminedly passing gas from the outlet of the compressor,said outlet now serving as a source of gases required for balancing pressures,--to the intake of the compressor through the conduit 35, when the pressure in the conduit I'I drops below a certain predetermined minimum. For that purpose, the conduit 35 includes a governor or diaphragm valve 35 which is constructed on principles similar to that of valve I9. The chamber 2| on the top of valve 36 is connected by means of a branch-pipe 31 to'the part of conduit 35 which leads from conduit I! to valve 36. When the pressure in chamber 2| of valve 36 drops below a certain minimum, for instance when there is a partial vacuum in line H, the diaphragm 39 distends into chamber 2| and the valve stem 22 is lifted, so that the port 38 is opened and the compressed gas in conduit I8 passes through conduit 35 into conduit I'l, until the pressure in conduit I! has reached a point at which the diaphragm 39 of valve 35 is released and distends downward, so that the valve port 38 is closed. The valve 36 is set to function substantially at or above atmospheric pressure, slightly below the pressure which is maintained by valve I9 in the conduits 3 and 5 and in the scrubber 4. I thus provide an independent low pressure in conduit H, which is below the pressure in conduits 3 and 5 and in the scrubber and the valve I9 will permit the passage of gas from the right to the left'whenever the gas to the right of the valve exceeds a certain pressure which was exemplarily stated above to be 2 lbs. above atmospheric pressure.

Assuming the valves 36 and 28 to be set at absolute pressures of 15 and 90 lbs., respectively, and assuming the machinery to have been out of use for such a period, that the pressures in conduits I1 and I8 have dropped substantially to atmospheric pressure; then the valve 35 is open and remains open after the engine I has been started, until the valve I9 has released so much gas as to raise the pressures in conduits IT and I8 to 15 lbs., whereupon the valve 36 closes. Additional gas being supplied through the valve I9,

duced, for example, to 7% lbs.

the; nressureis, built up in conduit Is by compressor; I 2;.but valve 36 opens whenever the valve I 9; does not supply sufiicient gas to maintain a pressure of lbs. inthe conduit 11. While the a pressure in, conduit l'l'thus remains constant, a

pressure of 90 lbs. is built up in the conduit 58, whereupon the gas is released from conduit i8 through the valve 28. The ratio of the pressures in-the conduits I1 and I8 and changes, therefore, from aratio of 1:1 to 1:6. Since conduit It! has a comparatively small capacity, the pressure ratio 1:6 is established Within a very short time after operation of my apparatus has been started and thereafter the apparatus functions uniformly, said. ratio being substantially preserved.

Onthe other hand, if the by-pass and the valve 3.6-are not used, a partial vacuum is established in the conduit I! at the beginning of the operation, the pressure in said conduit being re- The compressor, working against that partial vacuum, builds up a pressure of 90 lbs. in the conduit l8, the ratio ofpressures then being 1:12, which represents a totally different load on the compressor than the above considered ratio 1:6, and such a pressureratio, or a higher one, is apt to occur at frequent intervals whenever an insufficient quantity of gas is supplied from the internal combustion engine. I; Such pressure fluctuations may occur at any time and will considerably affect the load factor of the gasoline engine, impairing car,

buretion and impairing the quality of inertness of the exhaust gas of the engine. By my improvements, I have limited the fluctuations of the pressure ratio to the range between 1:1 and 1:6; at the start the ratio will quickly approach the 1:6 ratio, and said ratio will normally be retained thereafter.

It is'understood that the by-passing of the compressor l2 by means of the pressure regulated valve 36without using the pressure regulating valve l9is a balancing method which entails substantial advantages over the prior practice in the respective art. The use of valve I9, in addition to valve 36, permits a very fine adjustment of the back pressure on the internal combustion engine. At the same time the valve I9 allows me to provide, in the conduit system to the right of said valve, a pressure above the pressure of the atmosphere. Such a pressure to the right of the valve serves to prevent pollution of the gases contained in that part of the system by leakage of air thereinto through loose joints and leaks, and it guarantees the continuous flow of samples of the exhaust gas through the pipe 4! to an analyzer.

Whereas I show in the schematic lay-out in the drawing pipes of substantially equal diameters for the main conduits of my improved system, it is readily understood, that such pipes may be of larger or smaller diameter according to requirements; and that, by properly dimensioning the pipes, and by attaching them to each other, at other points, I may improve upon the even function oflmy invention under certain circumstances.

While I have shown and described my invention with some degree of particularity, it will be realized that modifications and changes may be resorted to under special conditions. I therefore do not wish to be limited and restricted to the exact details shown and described and to the numerical examples cited for the purpose of illustrating the relationship to pressures, but reserve the right to make such changes and modifications asmay fairly fall within the scope of the subject matter now being claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an inert gas producer unit comprising an internal combustion engine and a compressor for the exhaust gases of said engine, means connecting the exhaust of said engine to the intake of said compressor, means connecting said intake to the outlet of said compressor, and pressureregulated valves interposed in said two means and operatively connected with and controlled by the gas pressure at said exhaust and said intake, respectively, so as to equalize the said pressures.

2. In an inert gas producer unit comprising an internal combustion engine, a compressor for the exhaust gases of said engine, a conduit conducting said gases from the engine to the compressor, and an outlet conduit delivering gases from said compressor, the combination of valve means normally closing said outlet conduit of said compressor and opened by a fixed pressure in said outlet conduit, a return conduit connecting said outlet conduit to the intake end of said compressor, and a pressure-regulated valve in said return conduit operatively connected with and controlled by the pressure at the intake end of said compressor, so that said return conduit is open when the gas pressure at said intake is belowv a predetermined pressure.

In combination with means regulating the performance of an inert gas producer unit comprising an internal combustion engine operatively connected with .a compressor, "and a conduit connecting said engine and compressor, a valve interposed in said conduit and intercepting gases exhausted by said engine when they are below a predetermined pressure, means opening said valve and releasing said gases towards said compressor when they reach said predetermined pressure, a valve-controlled conduit connecting the outlet of the compressor end to the intake of said compressor, and means open ing said valve-controlled conduit when the pressure of the gas at said intake drops below a predetermined minimum, so that the pressures in the conduit connecting said engine and compressor are regulated in respect to both said parts of said unit.

4. Means regulating pressures in the exhaust gas conduit system between the exhaust of an internal combustion engine and the intake of a compressor which is operatively connected with said engine, comprising means supplying gas delivered by said compressor, means dividing said conduit system into an engine exhaust section and a compressor intake section, and controlled by the gas pressure in said engine exhaust section, when the pressure in said engine exhaust section exceeds a predetermined minimum, a valve connected with and controlled by the pressure in said compressor intake section, connected with said supplying means and introducing gas from said supplying means into said compressor intake section, when the pressure in said com pressor intake section drops below a predetermined minimum.

5. In combination with a prime mover issuing gases, a compressor operatively connected with said mover, taking in and compressing said gases, a conduit conducting gases from the outlet of said mover to the intake of said compressor, and a first valve interposed in said conduit, a source of gases similar to said gases, said source being indepen ent as to pressure of the gases issued by said mover, a second valve connecting said by the outlet and intake pressure of gases of said mover and of said compressor, respectively, and

' controlling said valves, respectively so that said outlet and said intake pressure are independently kept substantially constant.

6. A system balancing the pressure of a gas delivered in varying amounts from a source of supply of said gas, comprising a compressor which is operated at such speed that its capacity exceeds at all times the volume of said delivered gas at the delivery pressure, a line delivering said gas from said source to said compressor, a valve in said line, means closing said valve when the pressure of said gas in said line drops below a predetermined pressure due to the suction applied thereto by said compressor, a conduit connecting the outlet of said compressor with the intake of said compressor, a control valve in said conduit, and means opening said control valve, when the gas pressure at said intake drops below a predetermined pressure.

7. In combination with an internal combus- Jtion engine and a compressor which is operatively connected with said engine and the intake of which is connected with the exhaust of said engine, a conduit connecting the outlet of said compressor with the intake of said compressor,

a control valve in said conduit, and pressureregulated means opening said control valve, when the pressure of the gases at said intake drops below a predetermined pressure, so that some of the exhaust gases, which have been pumped through said compressor, are reintroduced at said intake and maintain the gas at said intake substantially at said predetermined pressure.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine and a compressor which is operatively connected with said engine and the intake of which is connected with the exhaust of said engine, a conduit connecting the outlet of said compressor with the intake of said compressor, a control valve in said conduit, and pressureregulated means opening said control valve, when the pressure of the gases at said intake drops below substantially atmospheric pressure, so that some of the exhaust gases, which have been pumped through said compressor, are reintroduced at said intake and maintain the gas at said intake substantially at said predetermined pressure.

9. In an inert gas producer unit comprising an internal combustion engine, a compressor, a first valve connected to the outlet of said engine and the intake of said compressor, means closing said first valve when the pressure between said engine and said valve is below a certain minimum, means containing gases delivered by said compressor, a conduit opening from said containing means and connected and introducing gas between said first valve and said compressor, a control valve in said conduit, and pressure-regulated means opening said control valve and admitting gases from said containing means to said compressor, when said compressor lowers the pressure of the gas between said first valve and said compressor below a predetermined minimum.

10. In .an inert gas producer unit comprising an internal combustion engine and a compressor taking in the exhaust gases of said engine, a valve interposed and controlling the flow of gases between said engine and said compressor, means closing said valve below a pressure predeterminedly above atmospheric pressure, means containing gases delivered by said compressor, a conduit extending from said containing means and connected and introducing gas between said valve and said compressor, a control valve in said conduit controlling the flow of gas from said gas containing means to said compressor, and pressure-regulated means opening said control valve, when said compressor lowers the pressure of the gas between said first valve and said compressor below a predetermined minimum.

ll. In an apparatus regulating the performsure-actuated valve connecting said containing means with the intake of said compressor, and opened to admit gases from said containing means to said intake when the pressiue of the gas at said intake drops below a predetermined minimum, so that gases admitted by said last pressure-actuated valve relieves the rarefaction occurring at the intake of the compressor, when the first-mentioned valves stops the flow of gases thereto.

12. In an inert gas producer unit comprising an internal combustion engine, a compressor with an intake and an outlet for the exhaust gases of said engine and a conduit for said exhaust gases connecting said engine and compressor, the combination of valve means normally closing the outlet of said compressor and opened by a predetermined pressure at said outlet, a return conduit connecting the outlet to the intake and of said compressor, and a pressure-regulated valve in said return conduit controlled by the gas pressure at the intake end of said compressor, so that said return conduit is open when the gas pressure at said intake is below a predetermined pressure.

13. In an inert gas producer unit composed of an internal combustion engine and a compressor taking in gases from the exhaust manifold of said engine, a supply of said gases, pressure equalizing means comprising two pressure-regulated valves opening upon the intake of said compressor, one of said valves connecting with said supply and being regulated to admit gases therefrom, when the pressure at said intake is below a fixed minimum, the other valve connecting with the exhaust manifold of said engine and being open when the pressure in said manifold is greater than a fixed maximum which predeterminedly exceeds said minimum, so that by said valves the pressures at the intake of the compressor and at the outlet of the engine are, respectively, independently maintained substantially constant.

14. An inert gas producer unit, comprising an engine with an exhaust for burnt gases, a compressor with an intake for some of said gases, a first conduit connecting the exhaust of said engine with the intake of said compressor, a second conduit connecting the outlet of said compressor with the intake thereof, and diaphragm valves in said conduits and respectively closed by a predetermined lack of pressure at the exhaust of said engine and a predetermined excess of pressure at the intake of said compressor.

15. An inert gas producer unit, comprising an engine with an exhaust for burnt gases, a compressor with an intake for some of said gases, a first conduit connecting the exhaust of said engine with the intake of said compressor, a second conduit connecting the outlet of said compressor with the intake thereof, and diaphragm valves in said conduits, said diaphragm valves reacting upon atmospheric pressure and being respectively connected to be closed by a predetermined lack of pressure at the exhaust of said engine and a predetermined excess of pressure at the intake of said compressor.

16. In combination with a source of gas, a compressor, and a line connecting said source with the intake of said compressor, a return conduit connecting the outlet of said compressor with the intake thereof, and diaphragm valves controlling said line and said return conduit, reacting upon atmospheric pressure, respectively connected to respond to pressures in said line on opposite sides of said valve in said line, and respectively closed and opened, when the pressures to which they respond, drop below fixed minima.

17 In pressure relating means, the combination with a source of gas, a compressor, a conduit connecting the intake of said compressor with said source of gas, and means driving said compressor at a speed at which its capacity exceeds the volume of gas received at a given time of operation at said compressor from said source, of a second source of said gas, a normally closed valve connecting said second source with said conduit, and a sage actuating said valve, connected to react upon the pressure at the intake of said compressor, and opening said valve when said pressure at the intake of said compressor drops below a predetermined minimum.

18. In pressure regulating means, the combination with a source of gas, a compressor, a conduit connecting the intake of said compressor with said source of gas, and means driving said compressor at a speed at which its capacity exceeds the volume of gas received at a given time of operation at the said compressor from said source, of a normally closed valve connecting the outlet of said compressor with said conduit, and a gage actuating said valve, connected to react upon the pressure at the intake of said compressor, and opening said valve when said pressure at the intake of said compressor drops below a predetermined minimum.

19. In pressure regulating means, the combination with a source of gas, a compressor, a conduit connecting the intake of said compressor with said source of gas, and means driving said compressor at a speed at which its capacity exceeds the volume of gas received at a given time of operation at the said compressor from said source, of means connected with and collecting gases delivered by said compressor, a normally closed valve connecting said collecting means with said conduit, and a gage actuating said valve, connected to react upon the pressure at the intake of said compressor, and opening said valve when said pressure at the intake of said compressor drops below a predetermined mini mum.

20. In pressure regulating means, the combination with a source of gas, a. compressor, a

conduit connecting the intake of said compressor with said source of gas, and means driving said compressor at a speed at which its capacity exceeds the volume of gas received at a given time of operation at the said compressor from said source, means connected with and collecting gases delivered by said compressor, a difierential valve mounted on and predeterminedly retaining gases in said collecting means, a normally closed valve connecting said collecting means with said conduit, and a gage actuating said valve, connected to react upon the pressure at the intake of said compressor, and opening said valve when said pressure at the intake of said compressor drops below a predetermined minimum.

21. An inert gas producer system comprising an internal combustion engine, a scrubber for exhaust gases, the exhaust manifold of said engine being connected with the inlet of said scrubber, a check valve connected with the outlet of said scrubber, said valve releasing the flow from said scrubber of gases exhausted from said engine into said scrubber at and above a predetermined pressure, a compressor connected with and delivering the gases released by said valve, and means introducing inert gases into the section of said system between said valve and said compressor, when the pressure in said section drops below a predetermined minimum, so that there is always a predetermined head of pressure at the compressor intake, though the said valve may be closed.

22. An inert gas producer system comprising an internal combustion engine, a scrubber for exhaust gases, the exhaust manifold of said engine being connected with the inlet of said scrubber, a check valve connected with the outlet of said scrubber, said valve releasing the flow from said scrubber of gases exhausted from said engine into said scrubber at and above a predetermined pressure, a compressor connected with and delivering the gases released by said valve, and means connected with an introducing gases from the outlet of said compressor into the section of said system between said valve and said compressor, when the pressure in said section drops below a predetermined minimum, so that there is always a predetermined head of pressure at the compressor intake, though the said valve may be closed.

23. An inert gas producer system comprising an internal combustion engine, a scrubber for exhaust gases, the exhaust manifold of said engine being connected with the inlet of said scrubber, a check valve connected with the outlet of said scrubber, said valve releasing the flow from said scrubber of gases exhausted from said engine into said scrubber at and above a predetermined pressure, a compressor connected with and delivering the gases released by said valve, a reservoir connected with the outlet of said compressor and receiving gases delivered by said compressor, a differential valve on said reservoir and preserving a certain pressure therein, and means connected with and introducing gases from the said reservoir into the section of said system between said valve and said compressor, when the pressure in said section drops below a predetermined minimum, so that there is always a predetermined head of pressure at the compressor intake, though the said valve may be closed.

WALTER J WILLENBORG. 

